Maine seniors targeted by Life Alert scam

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills is warning Maine elders to be wary of a phone scam offering free Life Alert products in exchange for personal financial information.

The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office has received numerous complaints about the scam, in which the callers tell seniors that they’re eligible for a free Life Alert or medical alert device product and then ask for sensitive information, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office.

“Seniors should always be wary of anyone calling them to tell them that they are eligible for free products in exchange for their personal information,” Mills said. “Legitimate companies do not operate like this. This scam is particularly insidious because it trades on the well-known brand of Life Alert which is intended for very vulnerable senior citizens.”

Life Alert is well-known for its tagline of “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

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The company that produces the real Life Alert product has filed a lawsuit against those who have impersonated Life Alert through scam phone calls, and lying and manipulating seniors into providing personal and financial information. The defendants include LifeWatch Inc. and Connect America. com, LLC (aka Medical Alert), two companies that purport to be legitimate providers of personal emergency response systems.

If any Maine seniors believe they have been a target of this scam, they are advised to contact the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-436-2131 or consumer.mediation@maine.gov.